Functioning Happy

I conquered one fear of mine this week. I finally decided “to put on my big girl panties” and go get my eyes checked with hopes of getting contacts.

It’s a horrible story -- I had to start wearing glasses for reading a few years ago. I was teaching and speaking weekly and didn’t want to be toying with glasses the whole time in front of people, so I decided on a cute pair of progressive lens spectacles. I have battled those things ever since, even though I adjusted to the progressive lens pretty quickly.

I did NOT want to wear glasses. Seriously, I really didn’t want to wear glasses so I just started printing out my notes and outlines in 97 pt. print. OK it wasn’t that big, but big enough for me to see it.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, this past year even that 97 pt. print was getting hard to see as I glanced at it while speaking. Mercy sakes, I had to begin wearing those glasses while speaking. Urgh! Call me a brat and tell me to get over it, but I don’t like wearing glasses when I’m speaking. So, with everyone betting against me, I gutted it up and went for an appointment for contacts this week.

The Dr. began asking me about my “living style” and what I did. She wanted to know specifically why I didn’t like the glasses. We visited quite awhile about me speaking, writing, etc. and how my glasses affected that . . . (quit laughing)

Finally, she said she’d work with me until I was “functioning happy!” I almost hugged her. I told her that was just the phrase I needed to describe this dilemma to my hubby. “I’m just not functioning happy!”

Girl - I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working with someone who is going to help me “function happy.” Can you feel my silly giddiness building?

The thing is we should all be helping each other function happily in this world. We each battle our own struggles and burdens. This week I attended and spoke at A Woman Inspired Online Conference. WOW, what a way to help each other function more happily. I spoke on our “dirty laundry” and how we let so many things hinder us, slow us down, and burden us until we can no long function.

Christ came to help us function happily! He wants our struggles - no matter how big or small - our burdens and our frustrations. He wants it all so we can rejoice in Him and be happy.

To build upon my talk I offered a give-away of three of my Dirty Laundry Secrets Bible studies via random drawing. And I am thrilled to announce that the winners are: Denese Waddill Barber via facebook, Nicki Chevalier Koziarz of Three Girly Girls, and Susie Terry Mozisek of A Pink Carnation in Bloom. If you are interested, I am going to leave the $5 EBOOK special up on my blog until Monday. Check the top right hand column out.

Blessings my friends as you splash around in God's sudsy bucket of grace!

Amazingly, it is time we all come clean and begin functioning happy!

Norman's Right!

"You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing. Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something! The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have." -- Norman Vincent Peale

Norman's right!

I have been struggling with a lack of energy lately. Can anyone relate? However, I’m amazed at what I’ve been able to accomplish the last few weeks as I’ve battled being ill. My dreams are bigger than me. Thankfully, enthusiasm has swooped down and taken over.

God loves to see us excited about life -- the life He gave us. He sees our every need, and provides. He is Jehovah-Jirah – JJ!

Are you running on empty? Are you losing heart? Get lost in something bigger than yourself.

After all, Norman's right!

Facial Blemishes and God

The past couple of weeks have been extremely stressful. Pressures and worries have built up on every front of my little world. Don’t you just love the saying, “When it rains, it pours.” Such is life.

However, it’s one thing to feel the pressures on the inside, but when they start popping to the outside through facial blemishes – ooooh, that’s not so good. I was experiencing such the ugly phenomenon. Stress pimples. Urgh!

Thankfully, I’ve had years of skin care training as I use to teach classes. I knew how to handle this. I babied my skin, made sure I was following ever step properly, and making sure my face was clean at all times. But these stubborn pimples were NOT budging. They were not even shrinking!

In desperate need of relief (I was fixing to be in front of a bunch of women), I borrowed a different cleanser from a friend. My goodness, I think this made the problem worse. If you know about skin care, you know any change in skin care products can make the situation worse at first. What was I thinking?

But I was still in DESPERATE need to be cleansed and free of these blemishes. Time was running out, so I went to the local supermarket and bought some super-duper heavy-duty acne free cleanser and toner.

Forget being gentle! I was going to scrub these bumps off. I cleansed as harshly as I could and decided to just douse my face in the toner. In my half-crazed mind I thought, that should do it.

By the next day, my face was on fire. By evening my skin felt like leather. I had fried my face trying to get rid of the blemishes. As the days went by, my face began to peel. It was horrible!

NOTE: DO NOT EVER TRY THIS! Stick with your normal cleansing routine.

What I learned about God and life from this experience: (I've had a lot of thinking time as I was hiding out.)

We all have blemishes and/or sins – they just seem bigger when they are ours.
We can try to hide our blemishes – however, we know they are still there.
We try drastic measures to feel cleansed – alcohol, drugs, money, relationships.
Using the wrong product for cleansing does make the blemish worse.
God is the only cleanser who will alleviate all blemishes.
Our responsibility is to come to HIM for cleansing – daily.
God’s cleansing program might not seem like it is working – but it is.
Cleansing is a process.


Amazing you can learn from your blemishes.

Should I Be Offended

After a glo-o-ri-ious weekend with many girlfriends from all over the city, my body has had a come-apart!

I woke up at 5:30am Monday to begin my prayer time and by 7am I was SO sick! I have come down with the stomach flu! Just in case you’re wondering – this is NOT fun. I’m not very good at doing things that aren’t fun. Ha

Each evening as hubby and my daughter tuck me in they insist we need to spray the house with Lysol Disinfectant. Hmmm? Don’t you think that’s a little rude?

I’m not sure whether I should be amazed that they are trying to protect themselves from my viruses or just plain offended.

What do you think?

Sshh – don’t tell them, I’ve been spraying myself with the stuff hoping to get well sooner!

Here's to a Change

So my motto for this year has been “No sloppy living!”

I have to confess I forgot about that motto over the summer. It was too much fun lazin’ by the pool with friends and havin’ late night girl time with a bowl of ice cream. Think about it - 2009 is only 120 days away! Yikes!

So I’m back in the groove. Trying something new!

I’m getting up between 5-5:30am to get a jump on my day. (I love it!)
God has been so gracious to wake me up singing His praises over me.
I have my prayer and quiet time early.

It’s all good except I’m sure I look a fright at that hour when I see Hubby out the door. (Sorry Hubs)
Oh yeah, I’m using a new facial cleansing system.
And I’m pondering that hair color.

Here’s the biggie!
I’m working out.
Drinking water by the bottles.
I’m writing every spare moment I get.
And I’m dog tired and falling asleep by 10pm. (I hate this!)

I think before long Hubby won’t even recognize me. Shoot, I might not even recognize myself. I’ve never been an early riser. Oh, I do love my late nights. That darn motto!

“You’ll never change, until you change!” I heard that quote months ago on a Will and Grace Show and it is so true. I'm singing that Brady Bunch song. You know the one -- come sing along. "When it's time to change, you have to rearrange - who you are and what you want to be." Don't forget the best part now -- "Sha na na na na na na na na. Sha na na na na!"

So . . . Here’s to a change and NSL!

I’m amazed I’ve done well for four days! Yes, you can laugh!!! I am.

How are your 2008 goals coming? Do you remember what they are? Just checkin'!

Sha na na na na ~

Makeover Monday's

Summer’s here! I love it. It’s warm days, cool breezes, fun and sun.

Living here on the coast is a treat. For me, lazy days relaxing at the beach and pool top my list of all time most relaxing things to do. Add friends to that and it is a taste of heaven.

As we begin to enjoy the summer season, please remember your sunscreen. Look for moisturizers and foundations with the added SPF. Take all precautions to protect your skin.

I spent years lifeguarding, literally frying my skin. Remember those days? I’d go out for 8-10 hours in the sun and use baby oil to bake in. Thankfully, we know so much more now about how the sun damages our skin and is harmful to our body.

As you’re basking in the sun this summer and applying sunscreen of SPF 15 or above, ask yourself how are you protecting your spiritual body?

Just as the sun can dry out and damage our skin, worldly influences can harm our spiritual bodies. Take precautions and moisturize your spiritual self with God’s word daily.

Moisturize daily in God's anointed word and be amazed at the sunshine in your soul.

Makeover Monday's

My daughter battled acne problems her senior year. We tried everything to alleviate the problem. We looked at her diet, her sleeping habits, her stress load and the problem only got worse. About the time we were making an appointment with the dermatologist a dear friend mentioned we should try Proactiv®. We ordered our supply and eagerly waited. It was expensive, but it was worth the try.

As soon as the product came my daughter began the three part cleansing process. It was amazing within days the acne was gone. Seriously, gone! Her beautiful complexion was back.

My son is now a senior and I tell you there must be something about seniors and acne problems! He asked me the other day to order some Proactiv® for him. I was telling a friend about this and she said I needed to go to the pharmacy and get AcneFree. It was just like Proactiv but cheaper, she said. I figured it was an imitation and probably not as good, but worth the try for half the price.

After a week, I have to tell you, AcneFree has worked just as well as Proactiv. My son’s complexion is clear once again.

I love imitations, don’t you? Especially when they are cheaper! Who doesn’t love a good bargain?

I have carried that way of thinking into my spiritual life too. God says to imitate Him, to become like Him. Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God.” Yet, I often find myself looking for the easy way out, the way that won’t cost me as much. The cost of time needed to get to know God so I can imitate Him. The cost of changing my ugly habits so I can become more like Him.

I realized I wasn't striving to imitate, emulate or try to understand God. I was skimping, looking for an imitation, the simulated and fake relationship that wouldn’t cost me as much. Pretending to be pious doesn’t pay!

The saying is ever so true, “You get what you pay for.” Being imitators of God will cost. It will cost you discipline, time and persistence. But the reward is well worth it, beyond anything we can imagine. Spending daily time to get to know the One we are to imitate is so refreshing and cleansing.

You might be able to skimp and save on products, but you’ll never get to know the Lord intimately and personally by skimping and skipping out on your personal time with Him.

Be proactive, plan and put the Lord first daily.

Permission to Rest

I called a friend Monday morning. I told her I was tired, toast, dry, parched and numb. You get the picture? I asked her if she could just tell me the next thing to do. I was too tired to think on my own.

She had no problem telling me what to do. She said you need three days rest! WOW – three days, I’m not even sick. I decided to heed her advice. I’ve rested for three days. Not the kind of rest where I'd camp out on the couch, but the kind where I lingered in my prayer time, read more of God’s word, and lazily finished up some articles I needed to submit. I haven’t been hurried or rushed. I’ve enjoyed each moment.

I’m so thankful my friend knew exactly what this girl needed. Three days rest. Today is the third day and I feel rested. Oh my, I feel like a new woman. I’m no longer a dry, parched soul. I’m refreshed, renewed and reenergized.

Why should I be surprised? Why didn’t I recognize that I just needed rest? I worship the Lord of the Sabbath – the Lord of Rest. Doesn’t He say, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you REST?”

You have permission to rest, my friend. Take three days if needed, but REST.

All Those Spokes

Thank you for your comments to 10 Small Changes. You’ve really got me thinking.

The small changes I listed were things that I could implement as I went through my day to help me achieve the health goals I had set.

I enjoyed your comments because they made me mindful that when I’m out of balance, something suffers. Just like the bicycle I use to have, when the spokes got lose or warped it was not a smooth ride. When I am out of balance what suffers can be my spiritual walk, my physical health or even my family relations.

I view my time with God the hub of all my spokes. That has become the easiest priority for me to keep, only because I battled with it for so long. Self-discipline, ooooh that is tough.

Right now, I feel pretty balanced especially after adding my ten small changes. However, I know it is probably just a matter of time until I’m off center again. In my life, balance seems to come in seasons; I’ll do pretty good, then I waiver, and then crash because my spokes are out of round. Hallelujah, I learned years ago to make God the center hub. It's because of Him I don't totally wipe out.

Daily maintaining the spokes regarding my spiritual, physical, emotional and relational goals is a challenge. It does seem that some days I am out of balance. Thanks for the reminder – I’ll start looking for those loose spokes now. Anybody have a wrench?

How about you, adjusted any spokes lately?



Keep the comments coming – drawing at the end of the week, see Blog Party 2008. Also, you can hop over to Makeover Monday’s for another drawing taking place. Too much fun!

Ten Small Changes

No sloppy living. Claiming those three words for my 2008 motto has been a challenge. My spiritual, emotional and relational life balance has been good; however, my discipline for a healthy lifestyle has been poor. Urgh! Really poor, as in today was the first day I’ve been to the gym.

But I went, yea me! While I was there I listened to a lady talk about small changes. She said instead of making huge drastic changes, just change little things. She challenged us to make a list of ten things we could change right now that would make a difference.

My List of Ten Small Things:

_____Take my vitamins
_____Eat a healthy breakfast
_____Limit my coffee intake
_____No salt, fried foods, sugar, breads, or desserts
_____Eat at least three servings of green, leafy vegetables and two of fruit
_____Do not eat after 6:00 p.m.
_____Schedule tomorrows exercise into my calendar
_____Plan a healthy weekly menu
_____Exercise for at least 30 minutes
_____Drink eight bottles of water

I had to put my list in check-off form. You know how I love those check marks.

Do you have suggestions for small changes that will make positive life-long differences?

Here’s to another healthy day tomorrow.